Rensselaer Union, Volume 5, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 July 1873 — Customs Frauds. [ARTICLE]

Customs Frauds.

WiSHIHOTOS, July 14. The Commissioner of Customs has just a report (or the use of the Secretary of the Treasury on the amounts of customs frauds on the Government for the fiscal year ending the 80th of last month. These frauds represent cases settled by the Department, and show to what an alarmiDg extent the system of swindling is carried on. An exact copy of the figures in the report, which show the frauds in each city, is as follows: New York City- 11,110,000 Boston San Francisco 38. 00 Niagara 22,000 State of Vermont., 20,100 New Orleans 18,000 Huron 10.100 Savannah, Ga. 8,000 State of Texa5...,........ 4,0 0 Portland, Me 8000 Detroit, Mich 7,000 Champlain 4,0 0 Baltimore 15,000 Bangor, Me 12.000 Philadelphia 2,500 Salem, Maas 2,000 St. Louis 2,000 Norfolk, Va ........... 2,000 New Haven, Conn 2.000 Brazos de Santiago..... 3,500 Aroostook, Me 2,000 Chicago 1,500 Charleston, S. C 1,200 Gloucester, Mass.....* I,MO Mobile , 1,00 Oawegatchie 1,200 Providence 1.500 Salttria, Texas 1,200 Wilmington, Del 1,000 This makes a total for the year of sl,432,100, and takiDg into account the tact that but a comparatively small proportion ; of the frauds committed are discovered, tho exhibit is truly a serious one. The Commissioner’s report states that in New York the amounts realized by the Government are mainly seizures, made for the most part on board ol vessels, _ of iroods imported from foreign countries. The larger suits against prominent firms of New York originate with the examination of invoices. Smuggling in small articles is in that city also carried on to a considerable extent, amounting for the last year to $300,000. During the year several suits not made public, besides that of Phelps, Dodge & Co., ran up to the hundred thousands. The amounts resulting from these seizures are divided among the informer, the Naval Officer and the Government, the Government onlv receiving one-half; except when the informer is a revenue official, when the Government receives twothirds. The Commissioner states that the amount the Collector of New York has received during the past year Is about $50,000. In Boston the case is synilar, with the exception that smuggling is done on a lesser scale The greatest difficulty experienced, however, is in preventing smuggling across the Canadian border. Smuggling at the Southern ports is not in proportion to the extent of the importations, owing mainly to the inaccessible character of the coast; - 4 A paper left in a bureau drawer by Michael Desmond, who shot his wife at Boston, recently, has been soun J , on which is written; “I am sorry that I have got to do it It is her Own fault. God have mercy on us bo»h. Let every mau do as I have, and never mind the la w; for the judge will fool, but God will not” On a fan he had written: “As sure as I write this Eva, you will die. I am tired of this world.” “You ought not to go to circuses,” said a Lockport (N. Y.) school-teacher to his scholars/ The day after Ae leotare 845 were at Barnum’sahow, and eight In their seats at school.